Self-Dependent or God Dependent
Self-dependent or God Dependent
2 Chronicles 16-20
“Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand…For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (16-7-9).
To Kings, to prayers, and two very different results. Initially, when Asa took possession of the throne of Judah, he walked in obedience to God and brought spiritual reforms to the nation. As a result, God blessed the nation with freedom from military threats. However, often the greatest danger to our obedience is not when we are facing adversity, but when we are enjoying God’s blessings, for we start to trust in our abilities more than we trust in God. Chapter 16 begins with the threat of war. Bassha, the king of Israel, was threatening to invade Judah and conquer the nation. In response, Asa sought the help of Ben-hadad, the king of Aram (modern-day Syria). Militarily, this made sense because by forming an alliance, Israel was facing a through from the south and the north, and so Baasha withdrew his threatening armies. Yet there was a problem. In seeking this alliance, Asa trusted in his political maneuvering rather than the power and faithfulness of God. As a result, Asa allowed an enemy of Israel to gain greater prominence in the region.
In contrast to Asa was Jehoshaphat. After God rebuked Jehoshaphat for forming an alliance with Ahab, King of Israel, Jehoshaphat was confronted with an attack from Moab. However, unlike his predecessor, before entering the battle, he first spent time in prayer, affirming that they were powerless apart from God’s protection. In response to his prayer, God assured him, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s…You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
Often, we are like Asa. When confronted with life's challenges and adversity, our initial response is to act and rely on our strength and wisdom. Even when faced with sickness, we can depend upon doctors rather than God. In 16:12, Asa is condemned because “even in his disease he did not seek the Lord but the physicians.” This is not a condemnation of seeking medical advice from doctors. Instead, it is a condemnation of relying solely upon human means and ability rather than trusting in God and seeking God as well. In several passages, the Bible encourages medical intervention (see 1 Timothy 5:23; James 5:14-16), but the use of medicine is not intended to replace God’s sovereign care. Even as we utilize human resources to address issues and problems, we must remember that ultimately we depend on God and seek His help and assistance. Yet we often ignore God and His help. We rely upon ourselves and human ability first and turn to God last. However, the lesson we learn from the life of Asa is that faith is recognizing that we are to seek God first in every circumstance and trust Him. While he uses doctors, we are never to remove God from the equation. When you encounter problems, is your first response one of prayer or turning to the wisdom of man?
2 Chronicles 16-20
“Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand…For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (16-7-9).
To Kings, to prayers, and two very different results. Initially, when Asa took possession of the throne of Judah, he walked in obedience to God and brought spiritual reforms to the nation. As a result, God blessed the nation with freedom from military threats. However, often the greatest danger to our obedience is not when we are facing adversity, but when we are enjoying God’s blessings, for we start to trust in our abilities more than we trust in God. Chapter 16 begins with the threat of war. Bassha, the king of Israel, was threatening to invade Judah and conquer the nation. In response, Asa sought the help of Ben-hadad, the king of Aram (modern-day Syria). Militarily, this made sense because by forming an alliance, Israel was facing a through from the south and the north, and so Baasha withdrew his threatening armies. Yet there was a problem. In seeking this alliance, Asa trusted in his political maneuvering rather than the power and faithfulness of God. As a result, Asa allowed an enemy of Israel to gain greater prominence in the region.
In contrast to Asa was Jehoshaphat. After God rebuked Jehoshaphat for forming an alliance with Ahab, King of Israel, Jehoshaphat was confronted with an attack from Moab. However, unlike his predecessor, before entering the battle, he first spent time in prayer, affirming that they were powerless apart from God’s protection. In response to his prayer, God assured him, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s…You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
Often, we are like Asa. When confronted with life's challenges and adversity, our initial response is to act and rely on our strength and wisdom. Even when faced with sickness, we can depend upon doctors rather than God. In 16:12, Asa is condemned because “even in his disease he did not seek the Lord but the physicians.” This is not a condemnation of seeking medical advice from doctors. Instead, it is a condemnation of relying solely upon human means and ability rather than trusting in God and seeking God as well. In several passages, the Bible encourages medical intervention (see 1 Timothy 5:23; James 5:14-16), but the use of medicine is not intended to replace God’s sovereign care. Even as we utilize human resources to address issues and problems, we must remember that ultimately we depend on God and seek His help and assistance. Yet we often ignore God and His help. We rely upon ourselves and human ability first and turn to God last. However, the lesson we learn from the life of Asa is that faith is recognizing that we are to seek God first in every circumstance and trust Him. While he uses doctors, we are never to remove God from the equation. When you encounter problems, is your first response one of prayer or turning to the wisdom of man?
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